What child hasn’t dreamed of going to outer space at one time or another? Well, for some students from Hobby Middle School that dream will come true when an experiment that they worked on last school year is placed aboard the International Space Station sometime in mid-to late October.

For the sixth consecutive year, Northside ISD can claim a Region 20 Teacher of the Year. The 2015 Region 20 Elementary Teacher of the Year is Gina Reina, a gifted and talented teacher at Wanke Elementary School.

Thirty-nine thousand students at 49 Northside ISD schools will receive free breakfast and lunch this coming school year thanks to the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act which will provide the financial support needed, according to Dr. Brian T. Woods, superintendent.

Northside School District will again participate in the National School Lunch Program which provides free and reduced-price meals for students from households with qualifying incomes. Households must apply every school year for the meal program. In addition, foster children who are the legal responsibility of a welfare agency or court may also be eligible for benefits regardless of the income of the household.

While one-on-one communication is the best, in a District as large as Northside ISD it is sometimes difficult. Because we want our parents to stay informed, NISD has several ways that parents and other interested citizens can stay informed about the successes and challenges of San Antonio’s premier school district, as well as news about their children’s schools.

Before 103,000 students arrive for the first day of school on Aug. 25, a brigade of new teachers first have to be schooled. More than 700 new and new-to-Northside ISD teachers went “back-to-school” during New Teacher Academy, an intense three-day professional development designed to share the culture and the expectations of South Texas’ largest school district.

Pease Middle School will host its Bulldog Family Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 13 from noon to 6 p.m. for community members to get ready for school, learn about volunteer opportunities and free classes, and connect with beneficial family service organizations in the area.

Zachry Middle School will be competing in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) 2014 ENERGY STAR® National Building Competition: Team Challenge. More than 5,500 buildings and more than 100 teams are battling it out to see who can save the most energy and water in one year.

Each year Health Careers High School graduates earn thousands of dollars in scholarships and embark on careers in medicine scattered at universities and later medical schools across the country. While some will cross paths in the future, the story of HCHS graduates Aaron Goldberg, MD, PhD; Kunal Patel, MS, PhD; and Nicholas Short, MD is pretty remarkable.

Bright and early Wednesday morning, Anthony Jarrett, Principal of Marshall High School, settled down in his seat in the auditorium at Brennan High School, prepared to listen to the Superintendent talk to all the District’s administrators about the upcoming school year. Little did he know that he would be surprised before 650 of his peers when former Superintendent Ed Rawlinson announced that he was the recipient of the 2014 Ed Rawlinson Innovator of the Year award.

School districts across Bexar County have united behind a campaign to emphasize the benefits of traditional public education. Their efforts were recognized by the Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) who presented the “Bright Idea” award to the 15 Bexar County school districts for their “Go Public” campaign, a multi-faceted public information and awareness campaign.

The start of the next school year is August 25, so now is the time to start planning. To find out the answer to such questions as what school supplies to get, when bus schedules are announced, or where to register your child for school, visit Northside ISD’s Back to School website.

So You Think You Can Dance is a popular reality television show, but the reality of watching the San Antonio Deaf Dance Company perform is truly show-stopping. The Company’s public performance is Friday, August 1 at 7 p.m. in the Marshall High School Auditorium, 8000 Lobo Lane. Admission is free but donations are accepted.

Northside ISD, in partnership with the San Antonio Sports’ Fit Family Challenge, is encouraging families to get moving this summer and exercise together. To help with this, NISD is offering FREE Zumba and Kid Fit classes each week throughout the summer at Linton Elementary School, located at 2103 Oakhill.

Northside ISD rejects a recently published Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts report that incorrectly concludes there is wasteful spending in school construction by unfairly comparing school construction costs in different parts of Texas.